Since the original Hip-Hop powerhouse Death Row Records was acquired by WIDEawake Entertainment for $18 Million in January 2009, both fans and critics of the iconic label have speculated about its future. Questions have arisen about not only the marketability, but also the purity and relevancy of a new Death Row brand. With managing partner Lara Lavi at the helm, steering Death Row into the digital age, should a renaissance be expected? Owing to a new warden focused on improving the relationship with former inmates and renovating the brand, the Second Coming of Death Row is imminent.

AllHipHop.com: So firstly, exactly how

does a self-proclaimed Jewish soccer mom become CEO of Death Row Records?

Lara Lavi: Well, its

a dubious honor being the managing partner of Death Row Records, which

I think is technically my title. I come from the music business (the

musician side and the legal side), Im almost 50 now and Ive done

almost every job in the industry, except yours! Ive been at this

for years and finally some financers decided they wanted to put a new

company together and they recruited me to go up to Canada (Im American

so I was a little skeptical). A year ago they decided they wanted to

buy something big, I suggested some things that I thought would suit

them and then they decided that, no, they really did want to buy Death

Row Records out of bankruptcy. So I negotiated a deal with my crack

team of lawyers and accountants and in January 2009, the judge said

young lady you do realize this has got to be paid in US dollars,

so I said, ok.

AllHipHop.com: Many people have grown

up listening to Death Row music, so much so that it has gained an almost

iconic status in hip hop. What are your thoughts on the brand?

Lara Lavi: Yes we all love Death

Row Records. You know what? Im actually a fan, I know it sounds

crazy! I love great music and authentic music and I believe that Death

Row embodies that.

AllHipHop.com: Death Row was home to

some of hip hops elite, including Dr Dre, whose album The Chronic

is the first to be reissued. What is the current relationship between

Dre and the new Death Row Records?

Lara Lavi: Dr Dre is a genius.

He is an American icon and he is probably the quintessential producer

for hip hop in the world – in my view. From that perspective,

Dre many years ago mentally moved on from the pain of having to deal

with the departure of him founding Death Row Records and his falling

out with Suge Knight. Now skip ahead and youll see hes done quite

well for himself and the association of the name Death Row for him is

either one of ambivalence or mild hostility. I dont think he has

anything against me. Our view is that it has to be a very gentle, slow

build to a great relationship. Its going to take time, but we have

mutual friends like QDIII and lots of folks. The issue is that he wants

to see if we are going to honor our promises. Are we going to pay royalties

on time and be honorable with his music? As an artist, I totally get

it. He has the right to be a little nervous or skeptical, its reasonable

I think.

“We have such a great relationship with Amaru

Entertainment and Afeni, which was my first order of business when we

closed on the catalogue. My first thing was to say to those guys, the